The Madness Series/Pandemonium
Table of Contents: Chapter I |''' Chapter II '''| Chapter III |''' Chapter IV '''| Chapter V Chapter I Longinus “The meeting has begun. Gather 'round, everyone.” I tap my spear on the wooden floor, sending a deep thump through the floor. If I had a small hammer, I would have used that to rap the table instead, like one of those judges you see on TV. It carries more metaphorical weight, you know? You make do with what you can. Six of us, including myself, were present. I wait for my fellow Toa to settle down, grab a seat, that sort of thing. We’re in an empty conference room in the Haven school. Soundproof padding lined the walls and the decor was both minimal and tasteful, with a potted plant in a corner and a sturdy-looking redwood table in the center of an otherwise unfurnished room. The air here was thick with knowledge, saturated by the thousands of students who walked through these chambers and halls. To our good fortune, a bay window dominated an entire wall, creating a wonderful scene of the courtyard. From up here, I could see all the way to the Haven Quarries, quite a ways southward. I barely managed to book one of these rooms for our meeting today. “Is everyone present and accounted for?" I begin, while dematerializing my spear into pinpricks of light. Five heads nodded in agreement. "Good. I assume you all know why I’ve gathered you here today.” I get more nods and a teal and white armored teammate speaks up. “The traitor,” murmured Mirai, Toa of Lightning. She looked bored, with her Kakama propped lazily on an arm, but I know she’s just sleepy. “That’s right. Xaedan’s returned and he’s gathered even more people under him.” Kavalus slaps a thick palm on the table. “I don’t get it. Why would he do such a thing?” The Toa of Earth was one of the few who opted to stand. And for good reason. His heavy armor and weapons would instantly shatter the seats provided. I raise an eyebrow. “Why would he gather others, you mean?” The Toa of Earth shakes his head. “Why would he murder a Turaga? From the very second you’ve told me about… this… you have no idea how much I want to march up to that traitor and punch the answer from his sorry mouth.” Reaching back, I produce a thin file and toss it forwards. The meagre contents spilled out. A few slips of parchment. An extremely rough sketch of the crime scene. A tiny memory crystal holding the dazed recollections of a Matoran eyewitness. The bare scraps of a murder case. “But let’s not get hasty. The details have been eroded by the sands of time, after all. This is all we have, Kavalus, but it’s enough. And do keep in mind that I’ve known this fellow for quite some time now, which is why I’m able to tell you all about him. Like I said, I came from Arthaka. I’ve been around for a while. Anyways. We’ve had time to muster our power, now is the moment to arrest that turncoat Toa. His allies will stand with him. If we cannot convince them to join us, we have to take care of them.” “Huh. So, boss. Let me get this straight. We either egg ‘em to join us, or kill them?” “For those who fall asleep during Longy’s speeches, namely yours truly, Formosa has just summarized this entire briefing,” Mirai pipes up with a lopsided grin which soon widens into a cavernous yawn. I reach over and give her a poke. “You give the presentation then, yes? I’ll wager a hundred widgets you would begin snoring halfway through.” Mirai is basically nocturnal, see. She’s constantly nodding off during the day but energetic beyond belief during the early hours. Madu-coffee’s probably the only thing keeping her going at the moment. “I’d fall asleep no matter what. Giving a speech would be so boring. Bleh.” “Then you should give me some respect as I shoulder the burden you can’t handle,” I retort with a laugh. The myriad of spikes on Formosa’s armor plates grind at each other as she shifts on her chair. The noise is akin to fingers on a chalkboard. It’s people like her that cause the school’s furniture bills to skyrocket. We pay the taxes, I’ll have you know. “Is that all, boss? Just the bit on Xaedan and his flunkies?” “Please give me a moment, I’m almost done here, Formosa. You’ll be able to get back to your dominoes soon.” Formosa has a thing for dominoes. She’s pretty sociable, likes the company of others. But she… changes… near a stack of dominoes. Maybe Formosa loves them so since they work by gravity. She’s been known to disappear for days on end building up some masterpiece or other. One time, she experimented on the falling of dominoes by increasing their center of gravity by about a hundred times. I swear that the sun rises a tiny bit later now, due to the dominoes shifting the planet off its axis. In all seriousness, Formosa is actually a fighter beyond compare. Even as a Matoran, she was an incredibly skilled Warrior. In fact, her abilities surpassed even the famous Dalu’s. Her incredible prowess with her katanas and her Kanohi, the Rau Nuva, are what makes her such a valuable ally. And, yes, a Great Mask of Translation is one of her greatest weapons. Well, that’s what she keeps telling me, at any rate. The Gravity Toa’s travelled far and wide, done all sorts of odd jobs. Currently, she’s assassinating the chair. I’ll be frank. Tsukumi is still most likely the stronger, in terms of sheer strength. But I am confident if the two ever clash, Formosa’s brilliant combat intuition will give her the upper hand. I clear my throat and move on. “There is one last matter that needs to be addressed and it is one of vital, vital importance.” A range of quizzical gazes look at me as I prepare to reveal grand finale. Mere confusion turns to utter bewilderment as I wave my hand, shooing my team, gesturing them to step outside. At last, with a smirk, I go over and give Mirai a light shake on the shoulder. “Psst. Mirai.” “Mrhhh… Lemme sleep…” I click my tongue. “Mirai. You’ve been asleep for the past hundred years. The whole team left you decades ago.” For the first time in years, the Lightning Toa widens her eyes. “Eh? What?” She stands up so fast, her chair is launched backwards, hitting the wall with a loud thud. “It’s true! Look around you.” With a grand sweep of my arm, I instantly create a light-based illusion. Mirai would see gaping cracks in the walls, vines snaking across the ceiling, books rotting on the floor, and floorboards torn into pieces. To her, the conference room has suffered a century’s worth of wear and tear. The Toa of Lightning gasps, her mouth hanging open in shock, panic in her eyes. “T-then what about you? Why are you here?” “I am but a hologram,” I reply sadly. “The real me abandoned you nearly ninety years ago, I’m sorry to say.” I can hear Kavalus and Formosa quietly dying of laughter outside. “Longinus. Are we going to attack Xaedan or not? Stop beating around the bush.” I turn and am mildly shocked to find Valaryx speaking up. Something like that happens maybe once every two days. No-nonsense, level-headed, but about as fun to have around as a brick wall. She’s already back in the room. Mirai’s wasted no time in rushing up to her and wrapping her up in a bear hug. Valaryx is our Toa of Plantlife, hailing from Bota Magna. She tells us she was once an Agori. And… that’s about it. Ah, well, that’s what a lieutenant should be. A stoic, sensible being, capable of bringing back a conversation to its original topic, no matter how far it has meandered. It’s a rare skill. “Well?” the Toa of Plantlife repeats. She looks at me, head slightly tilted, arms on her hips, the very picture of stern authority. Those piercing orange eyes hold my gaze, unwavering behind the Kaukau. If only they weren’t behind the Great Mask of Uselessness, then perhaps I may have been slightly intimidated. Slightly. Why she has a Kaukau, of all masks, is beyond me. She doesn’t even like to swim. “Ah, Valaryx. I’ve actually decided to wait for a while.” Kavalus grunts. “Wait? Why?” Valaryx nods in agreement as Kavalus challenges me. I smile serenely. “Ahhh. Let’s give her a chance first.” At last, the Toa of Gravity, with eyesbrows raised, rises from her chair with a dull thwock as her armor spikes are extricated from the wood. “Her? Explain. Who is this ‘her’?” “Hmm… someone else has set their sights on Xaedan. Let’s give her a chance before we swoop in, yes? A source of mine tells me she’ll strike later today.” Grudgingly, with mumbles of dissent both sleepy and lucid, the team reaches a decision. It is settled. We’ll hold off and see just what happens with this mysterious stranger. A moment of silence. “Gahhhh! This stuffy room is just too much for me. C’mon, Mirai, let’s get some fresh air. Plus. I’ve had enough of Kavalus’ stink.” “Say that again. I dare you!” The Toa of Earth shakes a fist at Formosa but follows her as she heads towards the exit. The Gravity Toa gives Mirai a light slap over the head, rudely waking her up again. “You drool in your sleep, Mirai, you know,” Kavalus snickers. The trio squeeze out, bickering and laughing all the while, Formosa and Kavalus at each others’ throats, slinging insults left right and center, while the Toa of Lightning stumbles after them, eyelids heavy and threatening to shut at any second. Despite what Xaedan’s done, I have to hand it to him. Being able to put up with a bunch of rambunctious Toa is something to be admired. I have the three stooges on my end but from I’ve heard, pretty much the whole lot of Xaedan’s companions are all over the place. “Right, that’ll be the meeting adjourned,” I announce, somewhat belatedly. Valaryx wastes no time in leaving. One moment she’s leaning against the doorframe, the next she’s gone, with only a slight scattering of dust to mark her lack of presence. Leaning across, I gather up the clutter on the center table, unceremoniously shoving the files and memory crystal back into the folder. “Korvald, my dear teammate,” I call out, without looking up. I let a touch of exasperation colour my voice. “It’s bad enough that Mirai can’t keep herself awake. Not you, too. To be perfectly frank, you have this terrible habit of not paying attention.” I crane my neck backwards. Korvald’s finally stopped slouching on the floor and is stretching, his bulky orange arms raised and back bent. With that being done, the Toa of Iron heads out of the room, not even bothering to say a word. The last I saw of him were his tremendous drill-like feet. Completely impractical for walking down stairwells, I bet. I’ve got quite the colourful bunch, don’t I? Chapter II Xaedan “Moya. I’m telling you. There is just no way I’ll finish this. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada.” A Ga-Matoran laces her hands behind her head. “That’s your own fault, Kendar,” she replies smoothly. “You had two months for this history project. All you did was eat, sleep, and play video games.” The team and I leave the two students to quarrel among themselves. According to Kaixin, those two are as thick as thieves. Apparently, their constant arguments show how close the two are. I don’t see it. “I’m not in school, Kaixin. Why do I have to tag along?” Tsukumi, Toa of Water and our resident humbug, crosses her arms and leans back on her chair, feet propped up, and seat dangerously teetering on two legs. Her sash is, as always, fastened with a double knot around her waist. This is the library. Yes, I’ve been here before, but that doesn’t mean I’m not slightly awed by the size of this building. It is a hub for all those who are pursuing the academics, where desperate Matoran and Agori studying in the Haven Schools sprint to to finish procrastinated projects. A true font of knowledge, filled with everything from scholarly journals to some Supermatoran comics at the back. They’ve got Batagori and Guuko, Wonder Vortixx, and even Doomsweek too. “I’m sure we could all stand to gain a few smarts, yeah?" the Ice Toa answered. "Plus, I already toldja. I promised to help out Kendar. The Onu-Matoran’s term mark is at stake here. You were a Ga-Matoran, surely you’ve been in a school before!” The Toa of Ice pulls out a chair and plops down beside the Water Toa. Tsukumi purses her lips in thought. “I think I may have skipped a few classes here and there, sure.” Kaixin tsk’s and gets up, heading over to the Ga- and Onu-Matoran. “Mary”’s beside me peering suspiciously at her new library card, scrutinizing it’s laminated surface. Amea and Anzix were busy today. They’re probably somewhere frolicking happily with a watermelon. The blind Toa has been awfully attached to the fruit lately, to the point of telling bedtime stories to him. It. I meant to say it. With a light grunt, I, too, spring to my feet, stretching out the kinks here and there. Two or so hours of mooching on a chair does that to you. “How goes it, Moya, Kendar?” I crouch beside the two student’s table, wincing as my knees krick. Chairs. The bane of my existence. The Ga-Matoran lets out a rush of air, something in-between a tired sigh and a disgruntled huff. “It’s not going. At all. Helping Kendar is like helping a… a door, or something.” “Well, ‘scuse you, Miss Puddles. This is a hard project, you know, uh… what’s your name again?” “Xaedan.” “Yeah. Xaedan. I mean, we were only given a short time, how would you expect me to finish a term-end assignment? Help me out here, man!” Moya harrumphs indignantly. “We had two months. You just sat on your butt gaming all day!” “Hey! I was beta-testing this new game, alright? You know the one, uh, where you have this thing and you blast other things and silver, gold and blue things pop out?” With eyebrows raised, I wedge myself between the squabbling duo. “Talk about gaming later. Kaixin, get over… what are you even doing, Kaixin?” “Hm?” The Toa of Ice looks up from her magazine. “Oh, this thing’s got all of the latest and hottest games. Ever since the Y-Box was invented, game developers have been cropping up all over the place. We’ve got some neat games. Grand Theft Ussal, Mukau Simulator, and this new thing for Hahli fanboys. The Final Chronicle, or something.” Marching swiftly over, I grab the gaming magazine. “No. Help ‘em out! You were the smart student, right?” She raises a finger. “I’m good at making things explode, not learning about explosions that happened in the past. Or anything about history, really.” With a roll of my eyes, I give her back the copy of MLG Weekly. Honestly. Kaixin’s the one who brought them here in the first place and then dragged us along too. Ah, well. She must have gotten us to come along since she knew she couldn’t teach them. Behind that cheery smirk lies a devilish mind, it seems. “I hate history!” Tsukumi hollers before settling back into her issue of The Kakama. Judging from the cover, the red-clad superhero was terribly busy fighting his arch-nemesis, Turaga Zoom. “History? I actually like history.” I sigh in relief. “‘Mary’, thank Mata Nui. You know stuff about dead people. Please. Help these two blockheads out.” I take a quick step to the right as she glides over. “Mmmm… Well…” she begins. Her tail swishes from side to side in thought. “First thing’s first. That, my dear Onu-Matoran, is not even a history book.” “Mary” pries a leather, no, some sort of other strange hide, bound book from the bottom of a towering stack other other volumes. A few end up on the floor and have no doubt suffered bent pages. The librarian will bring down divine judgement upon us all if she found out. Maybe not on “Mary”, though. She’s been hit by an artillery shell before and came out literally smiling. “Wild Caxisorak and Where To Find Them,” she reads aloud. “Quite the title.” “Yeah,” Kendar replied with a grin. “Visorak and other little beasties are so interesting. See here. This footnote lists what they eat, which is pretty much anything that moves, really. And this bit here? No, no, that’s their lymphatic dissection cross-section. I’m talking about-” “Biology.” Kendar blinks at “Mary”’s sudden interjection. “Heh?” “To be precise, applied zoology.” “Still don’t get it.” “You’re talking about bio. And what is this project on?” Without waiting for answer, she snaps the book shut and lightly tosses back on the table. “Fine, fine. If you’re so good with this historical past doohickey, what do you think I should do then, hm?” Kendar moans. The Matoran slumps forward, face smacking against the wooden desk, already bored. Immediately, he’s dragged up into a slumping position by Moya. “Well,” “Mary” starts as she once again fishes through the heap of reference books. “Try this. It’s an atlas of Xeno Nui, that’ll get you start-” “See? I toldja that was a good idea. I started my project the same way!” the Matoran of Water hisses. She folds her arms and a smug grin covers much of her mask. Yeah. These two are close. “Ahem. This ah, class, is still in session.” I chuckle and draw up a chair as “Mary” begins to recite tales for the Onu-Matoran all about the various cities and other settlements of North Xeno. Granted, a face of intense boredom is plastered on his mask, but at least he’s listening. A metallic thwack interrupts “Mary” after a solid eight minutes of informative ramblings. The Onu-Matoran has finally put his foot down, literally. “Faxis Beach,” Kendar declares with an air of finality. Moya raises an eyebrow, and I, too, am more than a bit surprised. Faxis Beach has a history? I’ve always thought it was a resort city and nothing more. “B-But I haven’t even gotten to the seventy-three North Xenen villages and hamlets yet!” “It’s the only other city I actually know anything about, alright? It’ll hafta do.” “Mary” thoughtfully rubs her chin. “Very well… And I’ll mention now that you’re lucky I know a ton about that port city. But, where to start? That’s the question.” With a slight ‘oof’, she flops down beside me, elbowing my ribs slightly to make some room for herself. “I guess I should tell it as it is, from the very start of it all. You see that one person over there?” I half-stand and already I’m towering over the Matoran and Agori populace. “The librarian, “Mary”?” “Yeah, her. She’s a Lykos. Anyone of you know who the Lykos Kinsmen are? Except for you, Moya.” “Mary” hurriedly adds the last bit when the Ga-Matoran’s hand immediately skyrockets up. Kendar mulls it over with a hand rubbing his chin. “They’re big. And. Uh. Big.” “Eh. They’re really not that big,” I remark. “Just half a head taller than I. Perhaps as tall as ‘Mary’.” “They’re also combative, technologically advanced, oppressive, and fun-loving,” she goes on. “I really have to admit,” the Onu-Matoran murmured, “That sentence didn’t end up how I expected it to.” “It’s crazy, really, how no one knows that Faxis Beach was actually founded by the Kinsmen, of all people. You’d think it would be common knowledge that Faxis Beach was founded by some guy named Faxis, yes? “‘Kay, so, Faxis was a seafaring officer of the Lykos Empire. Middling rank. Not exactly someone’s right hand man, but not street trash either. He was supposed to be part of the Southern Expedition but his navigator, Nephele, fell ill and was unable to perform her duties. With no other choice at hand, Faxis steered his ship, the Serpent’s Heart, towards the nearest island and ran aground there.” I nod in understanding. “Xeno Nui, right? Back when it was still one large landmass.” Kendar’s eyes light up. “Hey! I remember that bit about this island. The island cracked into two when Spherus Magna reformed, right?” “That’s right. Or, as the Kinsmen would say, aj. So, around sixteen or seventeen years before the Great Cataclysm, Faxis, Nephele, and what was left of the crew arrived at some tiny fishing village on the south coast of Xeno Nui. Half-dead, battered within an inch of his life, Faxis raised his ruined plasma weapon and demanded the villagers to declare allegiance to the Empire. Then he passed out, face-down on the sand. That’s how the legend goes, at any rate.” “Seems about right,” Moya says with a nod. “Though the faceplanting bit may have been exaggerated just a tad.” “Well, regardless, Faxis did end up in a messy heap on Xeno Nui some way or another,” “Mary” replied. “And, like I said before, the fellow tried to declare our island as part of the Lykos Empire’s rule. But, of course, we all know that none of us would have stood for that.’ I nod. “Clearly not. Just look around. I can’t imagine Haven, Faxis Beach, or any part of Xeno Nui being controlled by some other power. It’s too… free, sort of, here.” “My thoughts exactly,” Kendar concurs with a firm nod. “We’re not the sort to just go willingly into some upstart country’s rule.” “All sense of civic pride and patriotism aside,” “Mary” continues with a slight, melodious laugh, “the villagers of the day just shrugged him off and let Faxis, Nephele, and the rest of their crew be. With no other alternative, the eight Lykos actually dismantled their own ship in order to create shelters for themselves. It’s actually illegal in their nation to use an instrument of war for personal benefit, for your information.” “Eh, I’ve heard weirder laws,” the Water Matoran interjects with a casual shrug. “Apparently, in one North Xenen town, it’s illegal to scare the village’s Turaga. And you guys know Point Versi? The massive coastal town on the mainland? You can’t eat ice cream on the weekends. You could get imprisoned for doing that, in fact. Up along Sunspike Coast farther north, it’s also illegal to have a whale strapped to a Ussal-drawn transport.” “That’s right, Moya. So, yeah. The Lykos crewmen basically knew they were turning in their badges when they did that. In the end, though, the villagers saw that the Lykos were quickly running out of food and other necessities. Oh, and the first signs of heatstroke were also running rampant through the crew. This time, when the Kinsmen saw the Matoran and the supplies they brought, they welcomed them with open arms.” “This sounds like some cheesy script ripped from a survival drama show, or something,” Kendar remarks with a smug grin. “More like the dramas you watch ripped off history. Hah. You lot might have already guessed that the Kinsmen had a rough time adjusting and whatnot to the whole tropical island lifestyle. But, finally, in the end, Faxis, now changed for the better, finally brought his men into what is deemed proper society. ” “Huh,” Moya huh’ed. “So, that’s it?” “Mary” wagged a finger. “No, not quite. See, you guys have yet to know why Faxis Beach is named after a Lykos, of all people. I mean, what good did he do, right?” I shift in my seat as I nod. What “Mary” says makes sense. If the Lykos were a war-like race, then how in Mata Nui could a resort city with a grand old five-star resort get named after one of them? “Then he must’ve done something reeeaaally impressive.” The Onu-Matoran was quick to point out the coup de grace in “Mary”’s story. In all honesty, Kendar seems like a bright lad. A fine student, perhaps even as good as Moya. He’s just incredibly, completely, utterly, and exceedingly... lazy. I shoot a subtle glance over at a certain Ice Toa. Yep, she’s still burying her nose in magazines. I wonder who the Matoran of Earth reminds me of. “Well, Faxis did just one thing. And any one of us could have done it, really. The good man just tore up his maps, torched all of his ship’s communication devices, and proceeded to kick back and relax. Basically, he cut all ties to his past life. Old records say that he found his new way of life to be so much better, he completely forsook his status as a Lykos officer to protect it.” It took a few seconds for it to click, but Moya’s eyes light up as soon as she stumbles upon the answer. “Faxis saved Xeno Nui! By erasing all trace of his voyage to the island, he ensured that the island would stay hidden from the Lykos Empire. That’s… actually rather admirable.” “And there you have it. Everyone lived happily ever after,” “Mary” concludes with a lengthy sigh. “Now, I’m really parched.” She snaps her fingers. “Tsukumi, a drink, if you will.” The Toa of Water looks up, glares daggers at “Mary”, and returns to her graphic novel. “I have an announcement to make.” All nearby eyes are inexplicably drawn to Kendar as he slowly, ever so slowly, rises to his feet. “This will be the greatest project I will ever create. The world will revere my poster! Academics from across the land will laud me with awards for my speech! And, most important of all, I will get a higher mark than Moya!” The Ga-Matoran snorts. ---- Kendar 15 hours later, Classroom 761, Haven Schools “Well, Kendar. That presentation was quite something.” After I handed in my project to Eithne, the history professor, I was told to stay behind after the class was dismissed. “I’d even go as far to say that you did an impressive job,” the Ce-Matoran professor remarked, though grudgingly. With a hurricane of a sigh, Eithne takes a heavy seat in her chair. It wasn’t any old chair, let me tell you. You know those massive office, big boss chairs? The ones that have frictionless swivelling, ridiculous amounts of padding, and cost eight hundred widgets? Yeah. That’s the kind. “I bet you’d thought I’d say something like that, yes?” she continues while pinching the bridge of her nose. “Kendar, there’s just one small problem.” I gulp. Audibly. “Define, ‘small’, professor.” “The project was due yesterday.” Chapter III Xaedan “How about dinner at Tsukumi’s place?” Kaixin nods. “Sounds good, I could do with some half-decent food.” She whips her head back, eyes scanning left and right, then right and left, but, thankfully, Tsukumi wasn’t within earshot. “Right, see you then,” I return. With a quick fist clank, I head off down Garden City Avenue. “Mary” takes a slight moment to exchange a cheery farewell and catches up to me, her long legs covering the distance in a few graceful bounds. “Now what?” she asks. “Should we just head back home for a bit and just relax?” I mull it over. That would seem like the best way to kill the two or three hours before supper. “Sounds good. I need to mentally prepare myself for that Water Toa anyways. Maybe take a Vilad just before we head out, too. Half the time I see her, I get a headache,” I reply with a laugh. “Come on, she’s not that bad, and you know it.” “Fair enough, ‘Mary’. I mean, Tsukumi is… ‘Mary’?” She doesn’t reply with words. All she does is hurriedly clamp her claw over my mask, all the while pressing a finger of her free hand over her lips. With her yellow eyes staring at me, she gingerly removes the claw obstructing my mouth, though her finger was still indicating absolute silence. With a furtive gesture, “Mary” motions for me to follow her off the street. Two silent bounds took the pair of us behind a large barrel of some foul-smelling… something. Whatever. I was just glad it was large enough for “Mary” and I to hide behind. “This is the part where we think up of some devilishly clever plan, right?” I hiss. “Right you are,” she replies in equally hushed tones. “I’m no good at devilishly clever plans, though. You, Xae?” “I’m not even good at normal planning,” I sigh. “I just point and everyone else grudgingly follows.” Footsteps. We lock eyes. Nodding, just once, we fall still, as still as statues. Or a dead Gafna. We didn’t even dare to breathe, which actually came with the added benefit of rendering us immune to the acrid contents of the barrel. Again, that sharp click on metal against the filthy flagstones of the alleyway. And the noise was getting louder too. Our unknown assailant was closing in. Not good. Wait. There were two sets of footsteps! I relay my find to “Mary” with a quick upturned pair of fingers but she immediately cuts me off by raising three of her own. Hushed whispers, no doubt from the three strangers, begin filling the air. I catch snippets, none of which fare well for “Mary” and I. “...them… cut… and run…” “...too nice... shoot instead... “ A shiver runs down my spine and I do my utmost to suppress it. But, let’s be real here. You’d need to have nerves of protosteel to not even bat an eye when someone’s talking about slitting your throat or shooting you in the back not three bio away. Clearly, “Mary” was one such person. She was looking danger and death and all of that nasty stuff right in the eye and was offering them a metaphysical arm wrestle. Heck, she might even win. Speaking of eyes, “Mary”’s were flitting about, casting their slight yellow glow here and there. What? What was she searching for…? Oh. It’s too quiet. The footsteps had stopped, and the murmurs from earlier had all fallen silent. I swivel my head, in a desperate attempt to locate the mysterious trio. I bump into an empty box. The light rustle of my metal mask brushing against the mildewed cardboard may as well have been a boom of thunder amplified through a megaphone. Dear Mata Nui. I’ve done it now. A furious warcry breaks out, a furious, earsplitting female voice, ruining the carefully maintained silence. Desperately, I scramble to my feet, hoping for something, anything, to help me get my bearings. My fingers scrabble along the alley wall and I use an old drainpipe to haul myself to my feet. A rush of air, not two inches from me, whips by my chest and it is followed by a deep thunk. Maybe a second too late, I realize my potential assassin had just attacked me. A weapon, mostly likely a blade of some sort, must have embedded itself in the wall. Fire erupts from my gauntlet and I take a big swing, though my fists meets nothing. The flickering flames shed some badly-needed light throughout the gloomy side street. I blink rapidly as my eyes take a moment to adjust. “Owww… My head…” A petite Toa picks herself up from the floor and pushes herself into a sitting position. “I tripped there while trying to swing this big old thing.” The newcomer gestures towards her fallen weapon, a massive… cross? “I assume you were the one yelling and swinging your weapon around?” “Mary” asks brusquely with her arms folded. “Oh, no. Well, yes. I was yelling. And stuff. But, no. The thunk you heard was probably just little old me. I stumble around a lot, y’know.” I cock my head. “She seems harmless. In a strange way, admittedly,” I tell “Mary”. “M’name’s Kaede,” the little Toa quips. She stands up, rather shakily, and I get my first good look at her: Thick, pitch-black armor, devoid of colour like a midnight sky. Gleaming, silver accents also catch my eye and her eyes burn a deep scarlet. Such odd colours, ones I have never seen before on a Toa. “Well… Nice to meet you. I’m Xaedan, and she’s ‘Mary’. Kaede, are you… hm… a Toa of Magnetism?” “Nope, no sir.” With a clap of her hands, a flurry of black shards surrounded by an angry crimson glow streak through the air. Pure, unmistakable, Shadow energy. “What.” “Mary” and I chorus together. It wasn’t a question, more like a demand for an explanation. “Kaede? You doin’ alright, lassie?” From the inky depths of the alley’s end, a shapeless blob detaches from the darkness and morphs into a broad-shouldered Toa. Tough as nails, he was. And if I had a knife on me, I bet I could play a quick game of tic-tac-toe with the many scratches that criss-crossed his old, gunmetal armor. One thing stood out, however. It wasn’t his gruff, booming tone, on the edge of either a resounding laugh or a hearty yell. Nor was it even his prosthetic leg. I think, in these circumstances, the most important bit about this fellow was his eight-foot-long cannon, which I may or may not have seen on a Xian battleship before. How in Mata Nui’s name did he even get one of those? The stranger caught me eyeing his gun. “Her name be Sasha, lad. Don’t ya stray too close to her, now.” “Introductions! I love introductions!” The Toa of… Shadow, I guess, claps her hands and rushes over to the unintroduced fellow. “This,” Kaede announces with as much pomp and circumstance as she could possibly muster, “is Nexor, the island’s one and only Toa of Magnetism.” She shoves him aside and fishes her arm deeper into the alley, finally yanking out the final member of her trio. “And here we have Elantra. Toa of Psionics,” Kaede continues, as if she was presenting a fascinating specimen. “She’s inseparable from Nexor, so let’s reattach the two.” The black-clad Toa deftly steps out of Elantra’s way, and sure enough, the Psionics Toa immediately sidles up beside Nexor. She’s tiny, this Elantra, not just short like Kaede. With a mane-like bunch of metal spikes coming from her back making up for her lack of height, and sharp, flexible claws on her hands, she reminds me of a Rock Lion. Or maybe a Muaka. Or maybe even a Blade Burrower, seeing as she has spikes sticking out of everywhere. “Kaede, enough of this,” the cat-like Toa of Psionics growls. “You can’t just assume everyone to be an ally, that’s how you get killed.” The Shadow Toa sticks her lips out in a pout. “Eh? Why not? They seem nice!” “Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Elantra marches up to me and “Mary” immediately bars her way. Though there is a good two feet difference between the two, that doesn’t stop them staring daggers at each other. “Hey! I did check my tablet thingambob before talking to them, I’ll have you know!” Tablet? Kaede has a tablet? I’ve found yet another Future Chronicle in the hands of a fellow Toa. My insides go ice-cold, threatening to freeze me up, but Elantra’s rough voice shatters the deadly frost. There will be time later, perhaps, for a reckoning about this Future Chronicle business. I have put this matter off for far too long, I think. “Move,” the Toa of Psionics grunts. “Now, hold on a second! What are you doing?” I demand. Instantly, I tense up, ready to spring into action at the slightest sign of an attack. Clearly, this Psionics Toa wasn’t the usual calm, level-headed ones you hear about. I always thought Ce-Matoran were perhaps the most amiable of our kind. Nexor raises a hand in a calming motion. “Relax, kiddo. Elantra’s a tad rough ‘round th’ edges, but I be thinkin’ she just wants to have a ‘lil poking through your head. Y’know, to see if you be one of us. She did th’ same thing to Kaede when we firs’ clapped eyes on ‘er.” “It’s true,” Kaede pipes up. “Elantra didn’t spend much time in my tiny little brain, though, she said there wasn’t much to see.” “Mary”, despite Kaede’s somewhat reassuring testimony, stayed exactly where she was, a fearsome monolith of seething rage. This could get bad. Real bad. And fast. I take a deep breath. Let it out. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” And, as I expected, “Mary” whips around. “No! I’m not letting that filthy Toa lay a finger on you. You stay with me, Xaedan.” Elantra takes the insult in stride, not even batting an eye. Though “Mary”’s scowling face is filled with rage, I gesture towards the Toa of Psionics. “Make it quick.” With a terse nod, Elantra begins. “It shouldn’t hurt. Much.” “Oh, it hurts a lot,” Kaede interjects cheerily. “I only threw up a little bit when she did it to me.” Well, I couldn’t feel anything. Now, I’m just staring awkwardly at the Psionics Toa as… oh, wait. Something’s there. It’s like… imagine a bubble as your brain, and there’s another bubble pressed up against it, not yet merged, still two separate, smaller bubbles. “Here goes,” Elantra mutters, her face scrunched in a scowl of concentration. Instantly, Nexor launches into motion, dragging a protesting Kaede back behind cover. “Your friend should do th’ same, firespitter,” Nexor calls out in warning before pulling his head out of sight. Oh. That does not bode well for me. Next thing I know, an incredible headache hits me like someone or something has just bashed my head in with a battleship. White-hot shrapnel from the collision gouges through my mind, leaving behind an agonisingly burning feel that numbs all my other senses. Though I try to scream, I find myself choking at the sheer pain that fills the innards of my head. I fall down onto the ground, unable to get up and unable to concentrate myself on getting away from anything, while I writhe and moan in agony. Although Elantra’s face might have been scrunched in concentration, my facial expression must have been one of the most vile, ugly things anyone could have laid their eyes on. I couldn’t even hear anything, all that I heard was a faint white noise in the distance while trying to get the pain out of me. I finally manage to scream “Get it out of me!”, but find myself gasping for air the moment afterwards. Whatever it is that is happening to me, I feel like my head is simultaneously being squished to tiny proportions as well as being stretched out to magnificent sizes. The bubble bursts. I can hear. Breathe. I’m alive. Someone’s yelling to stop. Can’t tell who. Another voice is asking if I threw up yet. No. But, I nearly did. And a third voice, tender and soft, is telling me it will be alright. I like that voice. It’s the kind of voice that lulls you to sleep. Chapter IV Kaixin I’m under house arrest. The struggle. The second the grill got fired up, I got locked in with no explanation why. They didn’t even read me my rights! Been holed up in the living room for the last two hours. Not much to do, other than just staring out the window as Tsukumi and Kaede scuttle about, preparing this, cooking that. Smoke from the grills rises up in billowing plumes, carrying a fugue of enticing scents. Mmm. Good stuff. Anzix and Amea are with them too, dragging around tables and chairs, frantically trying to find more. We have extra guests tonight, something Tsukumi did not account for. The Toa of Water’s mask is carved with furrows of concentration, her arms all over the place. Nothing is getting in her way. Not the onions Kaede was tearfully chopping up nearby, nor the chairs Margaret was eating, much to Anzix’s dismay. So that’s why there weren’t enough seats. I guess she reminds me a bit of this one Ga-Matoran classmate back in Metru Nui. I forgot her name, but she was a genius, I tell you. Still worked hard, though, and when she really got to the task at hand, she turned into a whirlwind. I think she ended up with some tall Fire Agori named Reasly. So. Yeah. Everyone has their job. Me? Babysitting duty. Unpaid, hard, labour. Gotta watch over a sleeping Xaedan and a shifty duo. Ok, no. I’m watching the duo, but “Mary”’s not letting anyone near the firespitter. To be really, really, honest, I’m kinda resentful of those two strangers, Nexor and Elantra. They just got here, and now they get to help themselves to Tsukumi’s food. Seems almost… not fair. Kaede’s cool, though, she’s putting in work and helping out. And I’m best buds with Tsukumi, so I’m totally getting a free meal. Right? Speaking of those two. It’s super clear there’s beef between “Mary” and them. They’ve been glaring at each other this whole time. “Mary”’s the chillest girl I ever met, Mata Nui knows what the Toa of Psionics and Magentism did to tick her off. I stare at the two for a while, at a slight loss as to what to do. This is where I usually come in with a witty joke, or… or something. Something that gets people to loosen up. I got nothing, this time. It takes a while for me to notice, then process, the awful racket from the backyard: A ladle smashing against a frying pan, the age-old, time-tested summoning ritual. “Grub’s ready, maggots!” Tsukumi yells, not at all unlike a drill sergeant. Her voice is actually louder than the clanging, and that’s really saying something. I’m just surprised her voice box hasn’t caved in yet. Heaving myself off the couch, I plaster an awkward approximation of a smile on my mask as I head out. I look around. It’s not the best audience, not by a long shot. “Well, everyone?” I do my best to say cheerfully. “Shall we eat?” I’m met with a deadpanned stare from Elantra and a noncommittal shrug from Nexor. “Mary” just flat-out ignores me. Her sole purpose in life at this moment is to bring Xaedan back into the waking world. “Hey! Get out here!” the Toa of Water screams. “I’ll have you fed to my Margaret if I don’t see your butts here in five seconds!” In a flash, the room empties, snapping even “Mary” out of her trance as she keeps an unwavering eye on a stirring firespitter. Ah. So that’s how you get people to listen to you. All you need is an overgrown pet swamp monster with an iron stomach. Suddenly, a Swamp Stalker seems like a very good life investment. ---- Xaedan The Water Toa’s backyard has been transformed into a paradise. It’s like we’re inside a cornucopia. Tsukumi, no matter how annoying, how brusque, how callous, will never cease to amaze me. With two grills fired up, fire roaring, and a sphere of water hovering beside her to control the raging flames, she is feverishly filling up traps upon trays with perfectly prepared delicacies. Despite the smoke billowing up and the flecks of searing oil that grazed past her mask, she has not faulted. I don’t think she will. Burgers, the buns still warm from the oven, the patties juicy and hot. Steak, grilled to perfection. Skewers of glistening meat and succulent vegetables. Pizza, freshly baked. All of this heavenly food, lovingly created by Kaede’s very own hands and unlovingly slapped together by Tsukumi’s. And yet. All of it was untouched. Plates had been pushed aside to make room for the much less appetizing stone tablets, grudgingly pulled out for all to see. I regret ruining this feast but as soon as I came to I was heaving for air, my chest rising and falling like the bellows of a forge, frantically pawing at my own Chronicle. Words fell from my mouth before I was aware of anything. “I knew it,” I murmured softly, the words riding out as I exhaled a gust of air. “I knew we all had one.” The first words I spoke had ruined dinner. With a raised voice, I continued. “As soon as I heard you, Kaede, had one, I knew something had to be done.” The Toa of Shadows pointed at herself. “Did I mess up again?” “Well,” Tsukumi cut in with a quick clear of her throat, unfazed by my sudden awakening, “I think we all suspected that this was Infernum’s plan all along. He did try to convince us how anybody on this island could be part of the Deathmatch, but honestly, what other reason is there for such a large team of Toa to land on an isolated bit of land but for some Great Being’s amusement?” Before the Water Toa even finished her long-winded explanation, Amea and Kaixin are both nodding vigourously. It seems as though we all suspected this predicament for a while now. Glad to know I wasn’t alone, I guess. “Remember when you were on your way to that duel, Xaedan?” Anzix suddenly blurts. Up until now, he’s been staring intently at his own tablet laid out in front of him, wordlessly keeping his head down. “Yeah, I do. What about it?” With an uncharacteristic frown on his face, Anzix replies, “You had one. You had your Chronicle out, right?” Even the Plasma Toa is feeling the pressure. For someone like him to be scowling… that’s not right. He’s supposed to be a close friend getting into all sorts of messes, having a good time. Someone I can share a laugh with. “Going on a bit of a tangent here, but, speaking of practice duels, whatever happened to those?” “We sort of forgot about those, I guess, during our time in Faxis Beach and all,” “Mary” tells Kaixin. “Plus, we haven’t heard any word from the other half of the team. I, and most likely all of us, have no idea of their whereabouts.” My companion has been otherwise silent during this… discussion, though it feels more like a war council more than anything, and her face has thus far been studiously blank, completely unreadable. “What you say is less off-topic than you think, Kaixin,” Anxiz is quick to point out. “If the other members have Chronicles…” he trails off, the remainder painfully clear to us all. Kaede sneaks in a quick bite of her burger. A bit of ketchup dribbles onto the tablecloth and she frantically rubs at it with her napkin. Sighing, suddenly feeling very tired, I lazily point a finger at her. “Probably the least of our worries now… but you, Kaede. And Nexor, Elantra.” I raise an eyebrow, an invitation to explain themselves. Nexor and Elantra share a subtle, furtive glance and the Toa of Psionics gestures for Nexor to go ahead. “Right, then. To be quick about all this, Elantra an’ I are escaping.” Ok, so, looking around the table, we have a mixture of deadpan stares and surprised blinks. I guess I’ll stare at him, too. “Bookin’ it. Hightailin’ it. Skedaddlin’.” How intriguing. Nexor was a walking thesaurus. That must mean Kaede is a cookbook and Elantra… I guess she can be a Ussal Crab owner’s manual or something. “So, you two want to escape the island, yes?” Anzix replies, a grimace still etched into his mask. “Forgive me if I incorrectly recall, but wasn’t painful dismemberment and a slow torturous death the punishment Infernum doled out for that?” “Don’t forget, Anzix. He also said you had to walk the plank if you tried to escape.” “Of course, my bad. Thanks, Kaixin.” “Aha. You see, laddy, th’ trick is to not get caught.” “What makes you think we’ll help you?” Amea suddenly asks. She’s been so quiet since this debate started, I actually have shivers running down my spine hearing her voice. But hey, that’s just how she is, yeah? At least one of us is acting normally. The Toa of Sonics is met with silence, ironically enough. She stands and continues, her soft voice somehow echoing through Tsukumi’s backyard. “You two have come to us with nothing but demands. Yet, we know nothing about you, and, from what I have heard, Elantra has been far from a well-mannered guest.” More stifling silence, though I could feel the agreement from my teammates. No one’s nodding, no one’s saying anything, but it’s there. The mystery surrounding these two is just too much. Even Kaede, to a slightly lesser extent, very slightly, hasn’t shared any details with us. I’ve never heard of a goody-two-shoes Toa of Shadow, and I’m more than sure none of my team members have either. “Sorry!” Elantra? Saying sorry? What in Mata Nui’s name…? Gasps and various other exclamations of shock rippled throughout the dinner table. I thought I even heard our Toa of Ice mutter, “Goodness, I thought that was an archaic word…” Nexor stands up so quickly his seat goes flying back. Not to worry, though. Margaret made quick work of the ex-chair. She’s been circling us ever since we sat down, prowling around, hoping for scraps of food or flying chairs. “Elantra? Did ye forget to take your pills?” “I’m not on meds!” The Toa of Psionics takes a deep breath and composes herself. I guess letting out an awkward apology like that wasn’t part of the plan. “My, er, apologies. I may have been a bit abrasive to the lot of you.” “Just a bit,” Tsukumi mutters, just loud enough for me to hear. I was sitting directly across from her. Nexor snaps his fingers. “Of course, it be that time again. Look up yonder, ya’ll.” I direct my gaze upwards, as does the team. It was a beautiful late summer night, the slightly chilly air heralding the cooler autumn. The sky wasn’t quite black, there was still that tiny bit of blue that gave an impression that perhaps, the sky isn’t an empty void after all. But we all know it is. “The full moon, lads and lassies,” Nexor announces with grandeur. “It makes Elantra ‘ere a bit, eh, high-strung. Kinda like a cat that’s got a hard time hackin’ up a hairball.” Elantra quickly extinguishes the urgent whispers and hushed mutterings that sparked from Nexor’s revelation with a wave of her arm. “Well, Nexor’s more correct than you think. He’s not just talking about the lunar phases, I actually am indeed part-feline. Muaka, to be exact.” “Like that makes any sense,” Anzix retorts. “I think Anzix here would be more likely to believe your claim if you have some proof,” I tell Elantra, who seemingly lost her train of thought after the Toa of Plasma’s uncharacteristically sharp tongue suddenly reared it’s ugly head. Perhaps I, and maybe Amea, will need a word with him later. Scratch that. I’m more than sure Amea can handle the Toa of Plasma all on her lonesome. Rather unexpectedly, a booming laugh erupts from Nexor. He’s actually doing the whole knee-slapping bit, too. “Proof? Here!” He reaches behind his back, rummages around a bit, and tosses a round… thing… onto the dinner table. It’s maybe palm-sized, more or less black, but I see glints of gold and yellow. It bounces slightly, making this awful, awful squelch, before coming to a rest in the dead center of the dining table. I couldn’t help but shudder at that sound. “Is that…” Anzix leaves his seat to get a close look at this… thing. I have absolutely no words to describe it. Nor do I even want to. The Toa of Plasma hunkers down so the object Nexor has so magnanimously presented to us was at his eye level. What a brave man. “...This is a hairball, isn’t it?” Nexor’s only answer is a smirk, but Elantra gives us all the confirmation we need. “Nex! Wh-why do you have that? That’s almost six hours old!” She takes a swing at the Toa of Magnetism who simply sways out of the way. “Ask Kaede, lass,” the Magnestism Toa replies with his hands raised in a gesture of innocence. “She’s th’ one who found it.” The Toa of Shadow blinks in confusion. “Aren’t you supposed to clean up after your pet? I mean, city bylaw eleven, article b, clearly states that a fine of a hundred widgets is in order for those who fail to pick up after their pet.” Kaixin chuckles. “Why do you even know that, Kaede?” “Oh, Nexor got in trouble with the cops a few days ago for that. I learned my lesson from that. I would have thrown it out by now, but we ran into Xaedan and all. So, yeah. I gave it to Nexor a little bit later. What? What? Did I mess up again?” I could feel a smile broadening across my mask. It’s refreshing to see someone like Kaede. A bit clumsy, sure, even a bit naive. But her heart is in the right place. Elantra and Nexor don’t seem so bad either, now I’ve had a chance to talk with them. We may have different goals, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together for the time being. “Mary” taps my shoulder. I turn and she gives me a nod. A nod of approval. That’s heartening to see. If “Mary”’s happy, I’m happy. But, really. What a sight to behold. A dinner table, under a luminescent moon wreathed in a dazzling halo of twinkling stars, laden with both a feast of ages and instruments of war. Yet, despite our Chronicles so obviously clashing with the festive mood, everyone’s spirits have not been dampened. Tsukumi’s yelling at the top of her voice. Check. Anzix is finally smiling again, trying to mess around with Kaixin. Check. Kaixin is entertaining Kaede by drinking water through her nose. Check. Elantra and Nexor are sitting together with Amea, the three of them a calming presence, not doing anything stupid. Check. Me? I watch over my continually growing team with a bemused grin on my face. “Mary” is right beside me, my ever-present companion, a constant in this life, despite all of this nonsense with Chronicles, Great Beings, and a Deathmatch. Check. Chapter V Xaedan It’s pretty crowded in here. I’m fairly sure that the architects meant for this suite to be for private use. Could be wrong. But, quite frankly, I don’t think I’m mistaken just this once. Still. I’ve got to give them the benefit of the doubt, stay on the moral high ground here. So, I kick, er, gently nudge with my foot, Kaixin’s body out of my way. She’s snoring on the floor, drooling slightly. Arms are spread-eagled, taking up way too much room, creating far too much difficulty just to traverse out of my room. It gets better. Tsukumi fell asleep just outside so she’s unceremoniously piled up, I mean, lying in front of the door. I push. Door doesn’t budge. Mata Nui, she’s heavy. A good shove finally allows me to extricate myself into the rest of my humble abode. Now, hypothetically, one might wander into my house. That would never happen, though, I’d never let anyone other than myself or “Mary” in. These goons are breaking the law, I say. Ought to report them to the local authorities, fifty lashes and a month of community service for each of the blockheads. Wait. We are the local authorities. But, of course, hypothetically. Continuing my earlier train of thought. Said wanderer might be inclined to ask, ‘Why is it so crowded, Xaedan?’ And I would duly answer, ‘An excellent question, insert-Matoran-or-Agori-name-here. Like Karzahni I’d know.’ Kaixin and Kaede, who became fast friends, tried to organize a sleepover at Tsukumi’s, who was having none of it. Oh, so, she can say no, but once I get chosen to host the sleepover, I don’t have a choice. The world is unjust. “Yo.” Anzix flashes me a grin that is soon overtaken by a yawn, a cavernous, terrifying thing indeed. The Plasma Toa smacks his lips twice, maybe thrice, and stumbles past me into the kitchen, turning his body sideways as he slips by me in the narrow hallway. As you can see, ladies and gentlemen, we have just witnessed the rare Toa of Plasma in his natural habitat. But no pictures, please. These seemingly docile creatures are easily frightened by even the merest of external stimuli and are known to adopt a state of all-encompassing rage. But that’s enough about the, quite frankly, uninteresting orange-white armoured creature. We now have a curious predatory animal, a Toa of Sonics. With an odd tendency to tail Plasma Toa wherever they go, it has been hypothesized that these two organisms have a symbiotic relationship. Contrary to popular belief, however, it has recently become evident that a Sonics Toa actually initiates a parasitic relationship, often for the remainder of its life. Even in these early hours as the savannah sun creeps above the horizon, igniting the dry grass with a fire borne of pure light, lone Panthera Ameus can be seen stalking, and in some rare cases such as these, resolutely clinging to Toa of Plasma. “Mailman’s already come ‘n gone, Xaedan, there’s a bunch of stuff.” “Thanks, Kaede.” “No worries.” At this point, I’m beyond caring. So, let’s see. Bills. A handwritten note, exceedingly messy, which was a complaint from one of the neighbours about it being far too “uproarious” at night with something like six or seven “rambunctious” Toa crammed into one house. Eh. Yeah, that’s fair. We’re pretty darn rambunctious. I’ll send my regards to the guy later today. And an honest-to-Mata-Nui postcard. It’s been a while since I saw one of these. Back in Metru Nui, only crotchety old Onu-Matoran archivists still penned paper mail. So, that clearly must mean Longinus, the sender of this, was crotchety. I leave the rest of the messages at the front door for now, I simply must see what the team’s Toa of Light has to say to me. Truth be told, we haven’t talked much, he and I. “Kaede?” “Yessir!” she replies, poking her head out from the kitchen. My kitchen. That I pay the bills for. Not her. “You, Elantra or Nexor ever talked to Longinus?” The Toa of Shadows, the ‘shadows’ part still being something I haven’t quite fully gotten over yet, chews the inside of her cheek in a moment of thought. “I haven’t, for sure. Can’t say for the other two, but I doubt it.” She turns her back to me to keep a watchful eye on the oven in which was a tray full of some sort of batter, presumably the team’s breakfast. “Did you call, Xaedan? I heard my name.” “Oh, no, I was just asking Kaede a quick question,” I reply as Elantra enters the kitchen. Her hearing is absolutely uncanny, seeing as Kaede and I were speaking in fairly hushed tones in an effort to keep the rest of the mob from rousing. “Everyone’s up and they’ll be down in a minute. We better get the table out of the way,” she continued. With a grunt, I grudgingly take one end of the dinner table. Together, the two of us shove it against the far wall. “You still a bit ticked off at how we’re all packed in here, huh? Doesn’t take a Psionics Toa to see that.” “Well, you’re not wrong. I’m kind of angry but at the same time, I just stopped paying attention since I know this sort of stuff won’t change anytime soon.” I spend a moment hunched over, palms pressing down on the cool surface of the dining table. Maybe a bit too cold. If I keep at it, my hands will more than likely stay cold for the better part of an hour. And no, I’m not going to heat them up with fire inside or even remotely near my home. So I stand, straighten up. Might as well stretch while I’m at it, get the kricks out of my back. “You seem different,” I call over my shoulder, my back still arched. Elantra pauses for a moment, seemingly speechless. “Er, sorry?” “Different. In your case, easier to talk to. Less aggressive. More manageable. Should I go on?” “Excuse you, I don’t think you’re perfect, either.” Already, I regret saying such harsh words and would pay good money to have them stuffed back in my mouth, but Elantra’s already got a retort ready. “I took a look through your mind, you’re rather wishy-washy and a bit of coward, yeah? Great qualities in a Toa of Fire.” We glare at each other and her cat-like eyes met mine, not about to look away any time soon. No further words were exchanged but I can feel the dislike between us curdle into something worse, dare I say hate. It’s gotten quiet enough in the living room to be able to hear Kaede humming. As she cooks, the Toa of Shadows is murmuring some faint song. I don’t recognize it. But it’s a cheery, upbeat tune. All of a sudden, I feel foolish, very foolish indeed. We’re Toa, we shouldn’t be arguing amongst ourselves. “It’s because I haven’t told you anything about myself, right? I’m right, aren’t I? That’s why you still don’t consider me as a teammate.” Elantra hit the nail right on the head. It’s a silly reason now that I think about it. She’s proven to be a neutral party, at the very least, so there should be no reason for me to still be suspicious of her. Except the fact that she basically tore my brain in half. Or something. I guess adding stubborn to the Psionics Toa’s list of my qualities isn’t a bad idea. So. Uh, yeah. We just kind of awkwardly stand next to each other. “I’m from the Northern Continent. Been there my whole life.” I blink. It takes me a moment to realize that the Psionics Toa was talking to me. My head’s still full of sleepy cobwebs, I guess. Ironic, since they were formed by a lack of rest. Or maybe it’s just been absolutely fried by the sheer ridiculousness of this morning. “Hey! You listening? I thought you were the polite one of this bunch.” Belatedly, I respond with a nod. With an exasperated ‘humph’, her story continues. “See, I probably didn’t start out like any of you other guys.” “Well, that’s no surprise, we’re all from different islands and whatnot,” I point out. “In fact, I believe one of us is from Bota-” “If you hadn’t interrupted me, perhaps I would have enlightened you by now, dear Xaedan.” Oh. “Ok, look. You remember what Nexor said last night, right? That I was a Muaka. Do you believe that, at least? No, don’t tell me. You don’t. Your face says it all. Then you won’t believe that Nexor was a Matoran hunter who was tasked with killing me. You also wouldn’t believe that I tried to eat him. Multiple times. Nor would you believe he actually shot himself with a poison dart while chasing me. What an idiot, right? Oh, I also don’t think you would believe it if I said I had to chew his leg off to stop the poison. But… you might believe that a tiny Great Being was who transformed Nexor and I into Toa. Did you get all that?” “Nexor actually shot himself with poison?” “Yeah. Crazy, I know. Ugh, now I’m parched from storytelling. Tsukumi, make yourself useful and give me a glass of water instead of eavesdropping. It’s never wise to sneak up on a Toa of Psionics.” “Wait, what? You bit his leg off?” No time for a response, however. The Toa of Water stumbles out from the hallway and the rest of the team, finally awake, fan out behind her and spill out into the living room, much like an overflowing bucket. Tsukumi’s Maion is tinged with an exceedingly obvious red, yet she manages to keep her composure. Somehow. “I was respecting your privacy. That is all. No further discussion. End of story.” Tsukumi nods firmly, as if that would ensure her rebuttal would be watertight. I also notice she is not bothering to conjure a cup of water. I turn a blind eye to the Water Toa’s shenanigans as there was a burning question of great import left unanswered. “I demand answers, Elantra. How did he, no, how does anyone manage to shoot themselves with toxin?” “Oh, that’s easy, lad. I jus’ sneezed, is all. ‘Twas spring, that day. Had a bit of th’ sniffles you know? I do believe the popular term for th’ condition is Harakeke fever.” Kaixin lets out a laugh of disbelief. “Seriously? You nearly killed yourself because of a sneeze?” She seems fairly energetic despite being out cold snoring barely five minutes ago. “Aye, lass, I had a Hau as a Matoran. Terribly holey. Itty bits of fluff would jus’ come n’ go as they pleased.” Alright, then. That was an interesting description. “Nexor, you just reminded me of something I’ve been meaning to talk about, actually.” “Oh? What be on yer mind, water lily?” Tsukumi looks at Nexor with a look of horror. Quick to defend her honour, the Toa of Water stages a stuttering comeback. “Don’t you dare call me that you… you…” “Handsome rogue? Dashin’ hero?” I come to Tsukumi’s rescue. “What was your question, Tsukumi?” “Right. Mask. Nexor was talking about his mask and that got me thinking. Elantra, I’ve never seen your mask before, what is its power?” Now that she mentioned it, Tsukumi brought up an interesting point. The Psionics Toa’s Kanohi was massive, with an animalistic, lion-like design and a plume of metal at the rear. If I had to choose one word to describe this Kanohi, it would be fitting. I couldn’t see anyone other than Elantra wearing it. “This?” Elantra replies. “It’s the Kanohi Aspara. Care to hazard a guess?” “Aspara? Hm… something to do with transforming? The name has the same ending as the Mask of Transformation...” Tsukumi mused. “Kaixin, you’re the smart one here, any ideas? “I’m stupid in the morning.” “Lunarmorphosis.” “Yeah, that’s right. In a nutshell, I can transform myself during the full moon. I’m surprised you knew that, uh… Excuse me, what was your name again?” “Amea.” “Right. Sorry. Uh. It’s just that we haven’t talked much… and all.” “Yes." Elantra coughs awkwardly, seemingly not quite sure how to react to the Sonics Toa's terse responses. With a clattering of plates and utensils, Kaede bustles out of the kitchen and salvages the conversation. “You guys done with the chit-chat? I hope not, I love chit-chat.” “Well, nay, but dare I say we continue our lovely conversation over a bit o’ grub?” “Oh, an excellent idea, Nexor. I love grub. Let us get grub!” Anzix declares heartily. Shoving and grunting all the way, the lot of us wedge ourselves in a rough circle on the floor. Kaede had to gingerly prance like a Pokawi around us to set down a pair of fresh, steaming loaves of bread in the middle of my immaculate living room floor. Oh, my poor, poor living room floor. I’ll never forget the day I installed you. Top quality hardwood imported from the Faxis Jungle, waxed to perfection… to be sullied today by a bunch of hungry Toa. What a way to go. “Here, Kaede, the tarts are done, too.” “Great!” the Toa of Shadows exclaims brightly. “Pass them over here, “Mary”. Oh, and get the drinks, too, on your way back.” “You’re up, “Mary”?” I call out. I haven’t seen her for the entire morning. She must have woken up early and helped Kaede prepare everything. My ever-present companion slips out from behind the doorway, hands full with an oven tray laden with fruit tarts. Oh, what a sight for sore, tired, eyes. She is the one being in this entire building capable of retaining a shred of common sense. Anzix scoots out of the way as Kaede sets down the utensils. “Say, “Mary”, you don’t have a Kanohi, right?” “That’s correct. I think I’m the only team member without a Kanohi. I’ve never found it a problem, so, please, don’t worry about it.” The Plasma Toa shrugs. “Well, I guess the rest of us might as well reveal our Kanohi.” “Sounds good to me,” Kaixin nods. She taps her mask. “I have the Calix, it’s rare, but everyone knows what it is, right?” Everyone murmurs in agreement. We’ve all heard stories of the Toa Inika. It was Jaller who wore a Kanohi Calix during his time on Voya Nui and he used it to its fullest potential, dodging eye lasers and leaping over pits of lava. “Nothing interesting from me, it seems,” Kaixin continues. “Next!” The Toa of Ice looks beside her at Tsukumi, who had quite the Kanohi. I still remember when I was up against her in that practice match. No, wait, I was up against Kaixin, blew her up, and then Tsukumi interfered. Mata Nui, it feels like it’s been ages. But the main point is, I distinctly remember her masking glowing but I was never able to quite pinpoint what its power was. "Right," the Toa of Water begins. "I don't approve of this kindergarten-like round robin thing we've got going on, let me be clear. So, uh, I have the Kanohi Maion. It's the Mask of Elemental Embodiment." Anzix raises his hand, complementing the classroom feel. "Yeah? What is it?" Tsukumi asks brusquely. "And what exactly is elemental embodiment? I can tell this isn't some run-of-the-mill Kanohi, though." For a short while. The Toa of Water furrows her brow, lost in thought. “It’s a bit hard to explain, to be honest,” she finally replies. “But, I have an idea.” With a sweep of her arms, a rush of wind fills the room and the humidity of the room rises sharply, both so much and so quickly that I can actually feel tiny droplets coalescing on my armor. “Watch it, Tsukumi,” I sternly warn. “If you ruin the wallpaper, you’re replacing it. And I am very sure I said no elemental powers in the house.” “Can it, Xaedan, it’ll be for just a sec. See here, everyone, watch closely.” The Water Toa stretches out her arms and a ribbon of water forms between her outstretched palms. She follows up her flourish by bringing her hands together and the liquid responds accordingly, molding itself into a neat little sphere. At last, Tsukumi activates her Kanohi, this oh-so-mysterious Maion. Since the entire mask is translucent, the glowing basically turns the Toa of Water into a walking lightbulb. Rather unflattering, if you ask me. Involuntarily, I jerk my gaze away from her. This reminds me of how she looked in the mall at Faxis Beach. I feel inexplicably embarrassed. The cries, ooh’s and aah’s, and miscellaneous other mildly irritating coos catch my attention. That collection of bird noises was like a really annoying itch that, at first, seems like something you can shrug off so you can continue your life. But no. It slowly, ever so slowly, manifests itself as the very personification of dread. Not even the strongest Toa, nor Titan, nor even Great Being can resist. It compels you. And you obey. Your hand moves of its own accord and scratches. That was probably irrelevant. “What we have here, ladies and maggots, is Margaret. I’ve used my mask power to embody her with my elemental powers, transforming her into pure water.” Nexor nods appreciatively and tentatively pokes at the creature of fluid. “That’s mighty impressive, lass. Can ya turn anythin’ into water, then?” The water reptile lunges forward at Nexor, its jaws wildly scything downwards. The finger is hastily withdrawn. “More or less. The bigger the object, the harder it is to transmute it, though.” Glaring at the Toa of Magnetism with its beady eyes, Margaret settles back onto Tsukumi’s lap. It’s almost like looking at a ghost, seeing as Margaret was completely transparent. Rather, not seeing as. No, maybe a large soap bubble would be a better description, though I’m certain this aqueous being was less delicate that it seems. Every time the Swamp Stalker shifts, however, little flecks of water would fly off only to, thankfully, evaporate into thin air before it touched the ground. I get it now. This must have been the same technique the Toa of Water used to create that dragon head. “So is Margaret actually sentient,” I ask, “Or are you controlling this construct through your mask?” “That’s actually a pretty good question, maggot. Could it be you’re slightly more intelligent than you let on?” “Excuse you.” “I’m not doing anything, to answer your question. In fact, treat these water fabrications as if they were the real thing. I’d also like to point out this was how I transported Margaret to Faxis Beach, by the way. That’s one mystery out of the way.” It seems as though the Maion is rather useful. Tsukumi elbows Anzix, reminding him it was his turn. I remember Anzix using his mask once or twice during our time at Faxis. His mask was the Kanohi Avalos, the Great Mask of War, if memory serves. “I’ve explained my mask and what it does already, Tsukumi. I wouldn’t want to bore you guys.” “Not to us new arrivals, lad. Though I recognize tha’ mask. The Avalos, yes? It restores morale an’ grants bravery at th’ expense of common sense.” Nexor taps his chin thoughtfully. “I be more interested in th’ scar over your eye, honestly. D’you mind tellin’ us th’ story behind it?” Anzix shoots Amea a piercing glare, not that it would have any effect. “Our Toa of Sonics over there might have something to do with this ghastly disfiguration, wouldn’t you say, Amea?” The Sonics Toa pointedly looks away, her eyes fixated on a whorl in the wooden panels of the floor, clearly unwilling to tell the story. I guess this is a tale for another time, hopefully sooner that later as I too am curious. “Bah, that’s no fun,” Nexor chuckles. “Oh, while I have your attention, I wear th’ Arthron. Sonar and such, quite standard, quite standard indeed. Tha’ be all.” Amea raises her head to us for a single second to spit out the word “Faxon” before returning to studying the macroscopic imagery of the hardwood. Alright then. “My turn, right?” Anzix nods in confirmation and gestures at me to take the floor. It’s just me and Kaede left and I hope her mask is a lot more fascinating than mine; My mask is as simple as it gets. “Well, I hope it’s not too disappointing, but I wear the Kanohi Cyros,” I declare. “That’s all there is to it, really. A bit of a letdown after hearing about the Maion and Aspara, I know, I know.” “It’s not so much disappointing as contradictory, to be perfectly honest,” Elantra mused. “Why would a Toa of Fire even wear a Mask of Freezing? Kinda makes no sense. Plus, I’m guessing that this mask only freezes targets, much like its Kanoka counterpart. It won’t even be like a fully-fledged Mask of Ice.” “Which basically means it sucks even more,” Tsukumi sums up with an arched eyebrow. “Mata Nui, we may have a contender here for worst Kanohi. The Kaukau is still hard to beat, though.” “I’m gonna go out on a limb here so please don’t take it badly, Xaedan, but it really does seem like your Kanohi is the weakest among all of ours,” Kaixin voiced with a minute hint of pity playing across her mask. “Hah. Limb,” Elantra snickered. Nexor just shook his head sadly, clearly not appreciative of the unintended pun. The poor man sighed for good measure. I jump as a tap on my shoulder catches my attention. I know this finger, how could I not? With a spin, I come face to face with “Mary” who’s hunkered down with the tray of tarts Kaede sent her to fetch laid down beside her. “You didn’t forget about me, right, Xaedan?” she asks sweetly. She’s smiling. It’s the same slight smile she always has when talking to me. It wasn’t a grin, nor was there a twinkle in her eyes. It was just a barely perceivable upturning of the corners of her mouth, nothing more, something easily missed. No. Of course not. I didn’t forget “Mary”. I was just… busy talking to the others. So I shake my head at her, indicating the previously stated no. No, I didn’t forget you. That was the right thing to do, wasn’t it? “Mary” peers at me intently, the smile widening the slightest of fractions. “Alright,” she replies in a clear voice, the word so obviously meant for no one but me. She turns away from me, leaving my head a bit numb and an odd sense of tingly relief to flood through my whole body. “On a side note, I did say I can't wear Kanohi but if I would choose to own one, I’d love the Kadin. Flight is just so convenient, you know?” “Didn’t you mention something about something from Longinus, Xaedan? Or something?” Kaede asks as she slurped her coffee. The rest of her breakfast was nowhere in sight, and the only clue as to where it went was an empty plate. It wasn’t the just quirky Shadows Toa who finished with meal; The rest of this merry band of idiots were rising and dumping their dishes into the sink, the clanging of porcelain making an awful racket. Guess who’s cleaning them? That’s right. Yours truly. Yessir, a Toa of Fire doing the dishes. I mean, at least I should only be drying the dishes. Come on. Right. Longinus. And his little postcard. ‘Greetings from Happy Haven’, apparently. Maybe I’ll frame it to remind myself which town I live in. “Whatcha got there, Xae? Looks pretty important. No, wait, it’s just a postcard, never mind.” I look up to see Kaixin already quickly losing interest, her eyes drifting away. “Now, hold on a second,” I hurriedly splutter. It takes great effort indeed to capture the Ice Toa’s attention; One cannot simply call out to Kaixin and expect her to listen. “This was from Longinus and it’s says… It says…” I clear my throat to muster a grand, resonant voice, one befitting of a Toa of Light. Truth be told, I’ve never even spoken to him, but he seem like the kind of guy with big lungs, you know? Sort of like Tsukumi. But being a delicate water lily of a Toa, she has naturally big lungs already, perfect for holding her breath and screaming, so that doesn’t count. I don’t know what I’m saying anymore. Back to mustering. “In the words of Toa Longinus himself,” I declare in a manner stately as possible, “‘Team Longinus cordially invites you to partake in a gentlemen’s and ladies’ bout, to take place at the fourteenth hour of today. Please R.V.S.P. Present this card at Haven Park.’ So, uh, yeah. A bout. How does that sound?” Most of my teammates staring at me with various degrees of curiosity, the rest seem rather indifferent with nonchalant looks on their masks. Where was the bright-eyed, eager team of yestermonth? Have we lost our edge after our trip to Faxis Beach? Only Tsukumi, the crazy hot-head she is, shows any sign of elation. “Excellent! Yes! It’s been so long since we had that weekly spar. It’ll be beneficial for my health to start punching people again with the good ol’ one-two. Can’t beat the classics.” “Now, now, don’t get too excited,” Anzix admonishes. “What if we don’t want to go? What if some of us just don’t care?” Frowning, I reply, “No. We have to do this. We’re Toa, and I am your leader. We’re going to do Toa-y stuff, even if you all don’t want to.” “Oh, yeah? How are you gonna force us, leader? Eh? Ehhh? Maybe we’re too lazy to do anything.” “I wouldn’t say we’re lazy,” Elantra promptly corrects, “Just… unmotivated. Life’s good, why bother complicating it?” Everyone nods in agreement. Lazy kohlii-heads, all of ‘em. Anzix has posited an excellent question. How would I go about getting everyone off their bums and doing something, anything, productive? The solution was so simple, so elegant, so obvious. So perfect. She was sitting two feet away from me, sitting quietly, shuffling her wings. “Mary” caught me staring at her. “Hm? What is it, Xae?” “Help. Please. I’ve been disrespected and slandered by my own fellow Toa.” “Mary”’s face turned stern and she swiftly stood, claws on her hips, an authoritative aura pulsing around her, giving off an overwhelming sense of capability, leadership, and various other positive qualities I lack. Now here was someone able to rein in this rambunctious herd of good-for-nothing Toa! Thank Mata Nui! “Everyone! Xaedan says he’ll buy you all a free Scarbucks mocha if you guys go with him to meet Longinus!” No, no, no, this was not how it was supposed to go! But alas, it was far, far too late. Kaixin was already out the door shouting for the rest of the blockheads to follow suit. Well, “Mary” did her job, at least. Maybe now would be a good time to retire and turn into a Turaga. Someone else can deal with these crazy Toa. Category:User:ChineseLegolas Category:Stories Category:Infernum